Star Trek: Justice
by TheSonicGamer
Summary: The year is 2412. The Alpha Quadrant is in chaos. In the midst of a war with the Klingons, the machinations of the remnants of the Romulan Star Empire, and the resurgence of the Borg, Starfleet must now deal with a threat they never thought they'd face again. Based on the game Star Trek Online, follow the paths of three ambitious cadets and the crew of the star ship Justice.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Notes, dated 8/26/13: Well, this story now has 700 total views, so I've decided to do a little editng to the original, fix up some gramatical errors, the scene break issue, so now this is a little more readable. I'll be doing this for as long as the scene break problem was still an issue, so about halfway through Justice: Prime Directive. I also noticed I didn't have any original Authors Notes to this, so uh...this is my first story in the Star Trek: Justice series. The title itself is a reference to the spin-off series of Star Trek that had the name of the ship in the title (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise.) Enjoy!

Space…the Final Frontier…

Star Trek: Justice

Chapter One

Re-assignment

Temporal mechanics was always an interesting class. You knew the subject matter would blow your mind when it made you think about whether this was really even happening or not.

Velma picked up her tri-corder in order to leave her classroom. These new tri-corders really could do just about anything. She thought of how academia used to be only a few hundred years ago. Carrying big, heavy textbooks around in bags, and walking around all day with them. She wondered how they could possibly deal with it. She knew it wouldn't be that difficult for her, or anyone attending classes here. Physical activities were given just as much weight as academic courses at Starfleet Academy. But she thought of all the classmates she knew who would complain if the tri-corder they had to carry around weighed more then a couple of ounces.

She stepped out of class, taking a moment to smooth out her academy uniform. Along with thinking about history a lot, she was also something of a neat freak. Such traits were always welcome, and even encouraged at Starfleet. She headed to a transporter room, thinking about what she had learned today. She pressed her professor about some of the more interesting, but less talked about subjects in Temporal mechanics. Though Starfleet Academy would never admit it, everyone knew that the Bigs of Starfleet all had at least one temporal incursion. That everyone knew of, anyway. That was how she put pressure on Professor L'Archel. Everyone knew of the incident in 2286 when Kirk went back to the 1980's in order to bring back a whale to communicate with an alien spaceship that nearly wiped out the Earth. Not everyone knew about the incident years earlier when Kirk went to the 1960's and the Enterprise was mistaken for a UFO.

All of the Bigs had done it. Archer, Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway. There were rumors going around that another starship captain in particular had also made a time incursion. Captain So'Gam of the U.S.S Justice. An interesting Vulcan who tended to be a lot more impulsive then most of his logical kind. Unlike a certain ambassador who disappeared in a black hole a few decades ago, even though he wasn't part human, So'Gam seemed to be extremely interested in pushing the limits of his emotions. He'd never show them, of course, but he was known to act on them.

So'Gam…it would be an honor to serve with such a captain, Velma thought to herself as the transporter took her halfway across the academy to the students lounge. Of course, she'd want Jil'eesa to be with her. She wouldn't know what she'd do without her Vulcan half.

She waved at Jil'eesa when she saw her, carrying a tray of food to the table. A simple house salad. Like most Vulcans, she was entirely too predictable, but seeing as Velma's personality was rather typical for a human; impulsive, quick to act and slow to think about consequences, Velma needed her Vulcan friend to keep her in check. Picard had Riker, Archer had T'Pol, and she had Jil'eesa.

She sat down in front of her, placing her tri-corder flat on the table.

"It is agreeable to see you, Velma." Jil'eesa started as she took a bite of her salad.

"Formal as always." Velma responded. "How was History of the Federation?"

"It was endurable. We covered the Coalition of Planets and their part in the Earth-Romulan War. This…Archer appeared to have the odds against him. Yet somehow, he prevailed…"

"As all good captains do." Velma said. "We need more people like him…" Velma looked away for a moment, into the distance. The lounge was slightly emptier than usual. "Especially now…"

Jil'eesa took note of her momentary lapse of attention. "I suppose we do. Cadets are being reassigned and placed on starships much faster these days in order to bring more ships into the war effort."

"They may be forced to have to fight a war…" Velma said, looking back to her friend. "…But Starfleet still lives by its credo. To explore strange, new worlds…I want to be at the forefront of that frontier. But I have to get through the academy first."

"Patience is a virtue." Jil'eesa said. "You will obtain what you desire, but before that, you must be prepared. Even Starfleet wouldn't give an upstart cadet a ship just because she really wants it."

"I don't want to be a captain…I mean, maybe I do, one of these days…but I just want to get in there. I want to be a crewman, I want to work on the bridge and support my shi-…hold on." Velma picked her tri-corder up, the screen flickering with the Starfleet insignia.

"Yes, I am receiving a message as well." Jil'eesa said as she took out her tri-corder.

The message suddenly started for both of them. On the screen was an andorian woman. Long white hair, with her antennae moving ever so slightly.

"This is Commander Vi'cky of the Starship Justice." She began, her voice authoritive.

Velma looked up, excitedly. "Oh my God, she's Captain So'Gam's first officer!"

"If you are receiving this message, you are being reassigned." Vi'cky said. It was a pre-recorded message. "You are hereby assigned as a member of the back up crew to the Justice, registry number NCC-91888-D. If you are needed, we will call upon you. Vi'cky out."

Velma's smile turned slightly crooked. "Wait a minute…if I remember correctly, Captain So'Gam's ship is a Sovereign class…"

"Actually, he is an admiral now." Jil'eesa said. "And If I remember correctly-"

"You always do." Velma said.

"Yes…if I remember correctly, his ship, NCC-91888-C was decommissioned a few weeks ago. He is in line to captain a new ship."

"I wonder what new ship he'll get…what if it's worse than the Sovereign class!"

"The type of ship is irrelevant." Jil'eesa said. "We have our orders, and we may not even serve aboard his ship. We are merely part of the back up crew. Unless something was to come up where he needed a fully manned ship within a short amount of time, we may never serve aboard Justice."

* * *

So'Gam pointed to the icon on the screen. The icon was a Starfleet insignia, signifying a Starfleet owned Starbase. A larger insignia hung over it, though, as if dominating it. In front of him sat the senior staff of his crew. The Andorian tactical officer, as well as Justice's first officer, Vi'cky. The Trill science officer, Yoana. The Gu'ndam chief engineer, Car'los.

"As we know, Deep Space Nine was captured by a rouge Dominion Fleet." He said. He lowered his arm so he could hold his hands behind his back. It was a posture that most Vulcans made.

"I have just received orders from Starfleet HQ…U.S.S Justice is hereby ordered to join in a Federation task force…to retake Deep Space Nine…"

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter two

Bigotry

Authors Notes: Gun'Dam is my own creation, or really the creation of the random alien generator that resulted in Car'los in STO. All of my bridge officers are named after friends and people I know, and in this case, is a reference to my friends love of all things Gundam. He's also into cars, so, you know, engineer.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors notes: So this is my first time posting on this website, so if I make any glaring mistakes, please let me know. Obviously, Star Trek is not my creation, so the concepts and background storylines are the property of CBS and Cryptic Studios.

So this story is based on the Featured episode "The 2800", specifically the mission "Boldly They Rode", with a few changes to suit my story. What I love about Star Trek Online, besides being a continuation of the Prime universe, was the way it inserted you into the Star Trek universe. Whatever you made, you were allowed to be a part of it. It left just enough that you could fill in your own details, such as what you and your bridge officers are like and your responses to the different events you partake in.

So, this is just me doing that, using the mission from the game as a background for what this story is about: the characters. Of course, I'll be referencing just about everything Star Trek related, so it's best if you've seen all of the series.

Yes, any alien names are just Earth names with an apostrophe thrown in there. This is because they are based on my bridge officers in game, who I named after my friends.

Also, because I loved the 2009 Star Trek movie so much, I will be ripping scenes from that movie straight into my story. See if you can find them!

And now, chapter two!

Chapter two

Bigotry

"That'll be all. Dismissed."

With that, So'Gam's senior staff started to get up and leave. All except Vi'cky. She stayed there, bidding everyone else farewell as So'Gam turned to the window, looking out. Looking at Earth. Every admiral stationed at a star base had a good view of space. Usually, it would be space, or some material-rich asteroid, and sometimes a planet. Rarely were ship Captains stationed at Earth space dock, but So'Gam was in between ships. Waiting for the next Justice.

So'Gam thought of his previous ships. The Miranda class he served on as first officer, and how, during a Borg attack, he was forced to take command of it. His first ship as Captain, the U.S.S Justice, a refit constitution class, thus starting a long line of ships with the name "Justice." In just the last 3 years, he had gone through four ships, and was now awaiting his fifth. If he had been serving in peace time, he would have been kicked out of Starfleet a long time ago for needing so many ships. The Klingons, though, rarely allowed you to escape a battle to make repairs.

The Justice-C, a Sovereign class cruiser, had served him well. He had fought off many Borg attacks in it, but now he needed something more. As an admiral, he'd be taking all sorts of assignments. Diplomatic missions, exploring uncharted space, dealing with the klingons and the Romulans. What was left of the Romulans anyway…and with the few that were left, So'Gam felt almost…safe.

"So, we're finally going to take it back." Vi'cky said, breaking the silence. "After that retreat last time, it'll be good to go back and take care of those Dominion ships."

"We retreated for a reason." So'Gam replied, still looking out the window. "The Dominion war was one of the most devastating periods of time for the federation. They matched the veracity of the Klingons and the treachery of the Romulans. Not that they really needed to use deceit…"

"The Romulans entering the Dominion War was the turning point." Vi'cky said. "But we can't count on them this time."

"Not that I would want to…" So'Gam finally turned around to face her. "Who knows what they would do in this situation."

Vi'cky frowned a bit. "So'Gam….you're doing it again."

"What?"

"Letting your emotions get the better of you."

"And when has that failed us before?" So'Gam asked.

"It's helped us on a number of occasions, I admit, but I know you, admiral…you've always reminded me of Spock, but you and he differ on this one thing. Your….distaste for Romulans…they've already lost their home world. They're only trying to rebuild now."

"I would perhaps be a little more relieved by that if we hadn't had to deal with the Tal Shiar before." So'Gam said. "You recall the last time."

"I do, but you have to remember that the Tal Shiar are just one branch of the Romulan government. Come on, So'Gam, use some of that logic…"

"We will not be having this discussion again." So'Gam said. "You have your orders. Make sure the new Justice is fully manned."

"Of course, I'll make sure all three thousand crewmen are ready." Vi'cky said, turning to leave.

"Only you could get away with using sarcasm like that around me."

She stopped just as she turned the corner. "Is that…fondness of familiarity? I thought that was below Vulcans."

"Not this Vulcan." So'Gam said.

* * *

"Are you sure about this? Runabouts aren't generally known for these kinds of energy outputs."

"It can handle it, trust me. I'm a scientist."

"That doesn't make this any better!"

Velma crossed her arms, leaning back in the chair of the shuttlecraft. "You don't trust me?"

"It's just that you're a student here like me. If you were a professor, I'd feel a bit more comfortable…" Mi'key practically blurted out. He was on the floor, working on a side panel.

"I may be a student, but I'm a good student! Hell, I've given some of the professors here a hard time. Trust me, these calculations are correct."

"Maybe in theory, as a lot of science goes, but as an engineer, I have reservations about this." Mi'key popped his head out of the panel, his antennae drooping a bit, and his short, white hair a bit of a mess. The Andorian had seen better days.

"Just do it. You want a good grade on this, right? It's really simple, we go into the nebula and get some samples. This shield modification will allow us to stay in the nebula for a longer time and get samples the Montana couldn't."

"I am reluctant to say that I agree." Jil'eesa stepped into the shuttlecraft, taking a seat next to Velma. "Insistent, though she may be, she strives to be second to none when it comes to scientific endeavors."

"You know Janeway is my role model." Velma said, trying to calm Mi'key's nerves. Mi'key simply groaned, sticking his head back into the side panel to complete the modifications.

"If it would help, I could check the modifications myself, just to be sure." Jil'eesa offered.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I need, the Vulcan who specializes in blowing things up to check shield modifications." Mi'key quipped.

"A tactical officer does much more then "blow things up"."

"Yeah, whatever, look, it's done." Mi'key quickly placed the panel cover back and stood up. "Let's just get this over with. First sign of trouble, I'm pulling this runabout from the nebula."

"There won't be any troubles." Velma said, taking a seat at the front of the shuttlecraft. "Let's contact the professor and tell her we're ready. Hopefully she'll give us the all clear to carry out the mission now…"

The nebula they had been assigned to was not too far out of the way. It was somewhat near what used to be the Earth-Romulan neutral zone. Now that Romulus was destroyed, the zone no longer existed officially, though Federation star bases still monitored the area for any stray Romulan ships.

"Scanning…the nebula is several thousand kilometers wide. Not really that big, but still easy for a ship to get lost in. Sensors are having a hard time getting a read of what's inside…" Velma said as she examined what data the ship could get from the nebula.

"All right, 'captain'…" Mi'key said, the slight exaggeration he put in the word made Jil'eesa raise an eyebrow. "Let's try going inside. All systems are functioning within normal parameters so far."

"Thank you, chief engineer." Velma said with a grin before turning her chair to Jil'eesa. "All weapons ready?"

"Phaser banks are fully charged." Jil'eesa reported. "Though if I may add, asking about the status of weapons during a scientific expedition is hardly necessary."

"Just in case." Velma replied, turning her chair back to face the front.

"If you insist…more importantly, shields are up and emitting 36 percent more energy than standard protocol. We should be able to stay in the nebula for 4 hours and 35 minutes longer."

"That's way longer then I really want to be here." Mi'key said.

"Then let's get some samples quickly." Velma said. "I'm taking us in…"

* * *

It had been two hours since they entered.

"No…these samples are still the same as the one we got half an hour ago, beam them back outside."

Velma and Mi-key were in the back of the shuttle craft, examining each sample carefully.

"I was hoping to discover that the material deeper inside the nebula was different…Let's take her in another few kilometers, just one more time."

"Okay, but the shields are already starting to feel the stress." Mi'key said. "This is the last time, and then I'm recommending we leave."

"Full impulse, take her in a few kilometers more, Jil'eesa." Velma ordered.

"Aye aye, captain." Jil'eesa responded, the shuttlecraft moving farther into the nebula.

"I guess I may have to accept that my hypothesis was mistaken…not something I usually do." Velma said.

"Why are you so certain that you can find different kinds of samples deeper in the nebula?" Mi'key asked as he walked back to the front of the shuttle with Velma.

"Well, my calculations showed that there was something inside the nebula that didn't match the composition of the rest of it. I wanted to find out why, but all of these samples are the same-"

"Captain…Velma, look at this!" Jil'eesa interrupted.

"What?..." Velma went back to her seat to get a better view. Mi-key stood behind their chairs, trying to get a better look as well.

"...not good." Was all Mi'key could say. Velma and Jil'eesa remained silent. There was not much more they could say about what they saw.

A Romulan warbird lay dead ahead of them. They had flown right in front of their bridge.

"Velma…we are being hailed…"

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter Three

Trust

Authors Notes 2: I love finding grammatical errors I made the first time. Best. Writer. Ever. Amiright? Also, weren't Romulan Warbirds in TNG pretty intimidating?


	3. Chapter 3

Authors notes: Dun dun duuuun! Romulans always make everything interesting. Anyway, I'm not sure if anyone is reading these, I haven't done much to promote myself, I wouldn't even know how to go about and do it. I just hope that someone is regularly reading, and if not, this is a good place to at least archive my work. This story was the result of a random bug of creativity that rarely comes for me, and I want to make sure I have it somewhere besides a doc buried with my other docs. Anyway, let's watch the Romulans blow up our three main characters!

Authors Notes 2: I didn't think the creative bug would last this long. Thank you, everyone who's read my work, for keeping me going!

Chapter Three

Trust

Romulan warbirds were always frightening. Perhaps it was due to the lack of information on them, a side effect of the secretive nature of the Romulan Star Empire. They were huge, rivaling the already massive size of a Galaxy class star ship. They were intimidating, the way warbirds were designed, it felt as if it was piercing the very soul of whatever starship it was facing. The worst part was the cloaking technology. The Klingons had cloaking tech as well, but they were an honorable race that would allow you a fair fight. It was rarely used for spying. The Romulans took advantage of the stealth it allowed them.

Now they were facing one head on.

Velma kept her composure. Anyone who attends Starfleet Academy had to learn this. She was in command of the shuttlecraft, and she had to deal with this. Of course, she was also terrified, feeling the fear that many Starfleet captains have felt.

"Jil'eesa, we're right in front of them, we should be able to scan them without the nebula getting in the way."

The female Vulcan needed a moment to peel her eyes off the warbird to look at her console. "Yes, yes…they are heavily damaged…they must have been here for at least 3 weeks. That would account for the decay of their outer hull…"

That was true, Velma thought to herself. Getting past her initial reaction, she noticed that the warbird looked very damaged. The hull appeared to be peeling off due to the nebula, but she noticed more.

"Ji;'eesa, that looks like more than just damage from the nebula…"

"That would be correct. It also looks like they have suffered damaged from a battle…Velma, they are attempting to hail us again."

"All right, all right…put it on my console screen."

The image that popped up was barely visible. Their communications relay must have also been damaged, the static making it somewhat difficult to get a clear picture. Nonetheless, Velma was already profiling what she was seeing. Several Romulans wearing what appeared to be civilian clothing. That was odd. She had assumed any Romulans they'd find on this ship were members of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan security branch of their military.

"This is Captain Velma of shuttlecraft Academy 1412. State your identities and reasons for hiding in this nebula."

"Please, do not fire on us." A male Romulan said, stepping forward from the group of 5 Romulans to speak. "We can't die, not yet. We have important information that the Federation has to know."

"Then why not contact the Federation directly?" Velma asked.

"We couldn't, not the regular way. Any Federation ship that sights us in Federation space would shoot us down immediately. We had to find a place to hide and wait for someone to find us. We knew we wouldn't be fired upon in this vulnerable state."

"We wouldn't…" Velma began, but she thought for a moment. They don't know how Starfleet operates. For all they knew, Starfleet was just as malevolent as the Tal Shiar.

"Well…what is this information? I'll make sure the right people get it."

"Very well." The Romulan said. "We were civilians traveling with the Tal Shiar on this ship, waiting for any news from the empire about when we would find a new home world. We were cloaked, traveling through federation space when we passed by the space station you call Deep Space Nine. We witnessed the Dominion forces and the Starfleet retreat. The captain of this vessel decided to find out as much about these Dominion ships as possible to bring back to the empire, but we were discovered. The resulting battle cost the lives of most of the crew, and many of the civilians. We're all that's left…"

"The damage to your ship is extensive, and it's only getting worse, now that your shields are no longer active. We need to get you out of here." Velma said.

"No, it's too late…we won't betray the empire, we can't allow this ship to come into the hands of the Federation, but this information needs to be known. If you try to retake Deep Space Nine without this, you will be destroyed…"

"You're talking about…technical information. Their weapons, shielding, and how to bypass them. Send us the information." Velma said, a hopeful expression creeping on her face. If they could find any information that would help, they had to have it. The lives of countless Starfleet officers were at stake.

"Unfortunately, we can't…our computers have degraded as well, we're losing information as we speak…" He turned to one of his fellow Romulans and took something from her. It was a small, spherical device.

"This is a Tal Shiar data node. We downloaded all the information we found about the Dominion forces onto it. Get it back to your superiors, and drive those Dominion ships back to the Gamma quadrant."

"Mi'key, get a lock on the device and beam it here." Velma said.

"…What? How can you trust the-"

"Just do it."

"…Aye aye, ma'am." He quietly said, getting to work on his console.

"We'll put it to good use…but why are you doing this?" Velma asked. "Why not just go all the way back to Romulan space?"

The Romulan paused for a moment, looking away as he thought about why he was doing this. She was right. It might have taken longer, but they could have crossed the neutral zone…but then what?

"Our home world is no more…the empire is in shambles, and our society is on the verge of extinction. We cannot survive on our own anymore…we have to place our trust in the Federation. You are known for being an all inclusive government that accepts and tolerates any species…I don't know how true that is, but it sounds better then what the Dominion is capable of. During the war, they had the Founders to guide them, but without them, they are group of soldiers looking for a battle. We cannot allow them to reach any further into the Alpha quadrant."

"I understand…" Velma said as he looked back to Mi'key. "Get it yet?"

"Almost…there."

The data node disappeared in that familiar blue glimmer, reappearing in the sample case of the shuttlecraft.

Velma looked back at her console screen. "We got it."

"Good…if I may ask, why are you doing this? I thought you would be much more cautious, interrogating us first and demanding that we let you board our ship…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm going to run a full analysis of the device." Velma said. "But…you're right. The Federation may have grown…skeptical as of late because of the war. However, I still believe in what you said. Trust. Giving second chances. You need our help, and we'll be happy to-"

"Velma!" Mi'key suddenly yelled. "Their warp core readings are going crazy, I think there's been a breach in their containment center!"

The Romulans on screen didn't seem to move. They stayed put, though some started to hold hands.

"You…you knew this was going to happen…" Velma slowly said.

"Yes…" The male Romulan said. "We knew it would be impossible to get this ship out of the nebula. We were just hoping that a ship would pass by, and the universe sent you…The rest is up to you."

"We can save some of you, let us beam you over!"

"No…it is not our way…I regret that we had to meet under such circumstances. In another reality…I could have called you 'friend'…"

"Velma!" Mi'key yelled. "We have to go, impulse engines are ready!"

"…Jolan tru…" Velma said softly, the console screen suddenly going black.

The shuttlecraft turned around, rushing in the opposite direction of the warbird in order to escape. They could feel the vibrations as the ship behind them exploded.

* * *

The trip back to Earth Space dock was anything but silent.

"We have to let Starfleet have it and run a full diagnostics on it! Who knows what's in the node…"

"Mi'key, we have to do this carefully. Starfleet may not believe our story; they may even destroy the data node just to be sure. I want to run the diagnostics myself."

"Velma, your caution is unfounded." Jil'eesa said. Her calm was barely audible at this point. "Starfleet will study the node and extract the information out of it. Our duty is simply to deliver the node to them."

"See? Jil'eesa's right on this, so let's stop arguing about this." Mi'key said. "We have to contact Professor L'Archel..."

"All right, all right, let me go tell her about this, at least…."

Velma sat down at her console to send a sub space message. L'Archel appeared on the screen, an older human woman who had served on many ships in her time, including the Enterprise and the Houston.

"Where have you three been? You need to get back to the academy immediately!" She said.

"What? I thought we had all day to do this assignment." Velma replied.

"You've been deployed." Their professor said. "All three of you are supposed to report to the U.S.S Justice."

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 4

Odyssey

Authors Notes 2: Romulan Data Node is my own creation. Romulan knack for deceptive acts and devices are all Roddenberry and Berman.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors notes: This'll be a somewhat short one, but there's a reference to the recent Star Trek movie here, if anyone can find it.

Chapter 4

Odyssey

The Captain of a ship traditionally made their first trip to their new ship by shuttlecraft. An ensign was piloting it while So'Gam sat in the back, talking to someone on a view screen. A male Andorian who was sitting in his office at Space dock.

"Will your new ship be ready in time for the launch of the task force fleet?" So'Gam asked.

"I'm afraid not, we'll be a little late to the battle. This ship needs more preparation time." He replied.

"I would imagine you are feeling anxious, Shon. A captain who still has fight in him cannot wait too long on the ground."

"Trust me, I'm pleading with them to move as fast as possible." Shon said. "The Belfast was a good ship, but I need to get back out there and defend Deep Space Nine. Kurland will kill me if I'm not there."

"Kurland has opted to wait for you." So'Gam said. "Your new ship will join the Defiant and comprise the second wave of the attack, while I lead the first. Kurland knows you want to be there…"

"I know…he still feels bad about the loss of the Belfast." Shon said.

"Those feelings of regret will pass when he sees your new ship." So'Gam said.

"And yours. I need to attend a meeting with my bridge officers. I'll see you at Deep Space Nine." Shon raised a hand, giving So'Gam the Vulcan salute.

"Live long." Shon said with a grin.

"I assume prospering is merely implied." So'Gam said as he raised his hand to salute him back.

* * *

Velma, Jil'eesa and Mi'key were sitting in the shuttlecraft heading toward the new Justice. The shuttlecraft was packed, as the large crew compliment required them, since they couldn't all be transported quick enough.

"I've never seen a Vulcan pack clothes so quickly." Mi'key said to Jil'eesa.

"I have never seen an Andorian who required so much clothing." She replied.

"Hey, you get a replicator, you just go nuts. Hey, did Velma?..."

"Yes, she brought it." Jil'eesa said quietly. "As soon as we complete the mission the Justice is being called for, she will ask for an audience with the Captain and explain the situation."

"Good…" He looked over at Velma, whose eyes were glued to the window.

"Have you ever met So'Gam?" he asked, but Velma remained quiet.

"Velma?"

"Look out the window…" Velma said. "There it is…it's the Justice…."

They both looked out the window as well to see the new ship. They could see the various other ships that were also preparing to leave. An entire fleet that had to contain at least 20 ships. As their destination came into full view, Mi'key's face suddenly lit up with excitement.

"It's an Odyssey class!"

The ship was huge. Much larger than any ship they had ever seen before. Dozens of shuttlecraft were flying towards it. It had to easily hold over a thousand crewmen.

The saucer section was the same elongated shape as the Sovereign class, but was also separated from the rest of the ship, attached by two struts. Thoughts of saucer separation were already going through Mi'key's mind. The warp nacelles had a similar design to the Sovereign, but the deflector dish had been changed to resemble the Galaxy class's deflector array. As they flew over the saucer section, they could see the name of the ship.

U.S.S Justice

NCC-91888-D

* * *

The hallways were crowded as everyone was scrambling to their designated stations. Velma was awestruck at the whole situation. She was finally on a star ship, and it was the latest ship from the San Francisco Fleet Yards.

"Well, I'm heading to the bridge." Mi'key stated plainly.

"What, why?" Velma asked, almost pleading. "How are you being stationed at the bridge already?"

"They like having rookies piloting so the more experienced officers can concentrate on other problems." Mi'key said. "Plus, the ensign who was supposed to be at the helm got sick, and I'm filling in."

"YOU'RE PILOTING THIS SHIP!?" Jil'eesa had to grab onto Velma as she yelled out. Mi'key grinned sheepishly as he made his way to the turbolift.

"Is there a problem here?"

Both cadets stopped and turned around to see Vi'cky, her arms crossed.

Velma and Jil'eesa stood at attention. "Nothing wrong here, ma'am." Velma stated.

"Good. Then get to your posts, we'll be leaving soon." With that, Vi'cky continued on to the turbolift.

* * *

When Vi'cky stepped out onto the bridge, she took a quick scan to make sure everyone was accounted for. Yoana, So'Gam's science officer, was at her station, and Car'los, the chief engineer, was no doubt in engineering, making sure all systems were ready. And of course, So'Gam was in the captain's chair. She walked over to her post at tactical.

"All personnel are at their posts and awaiting your commands, as is the rest of the fleet, Captain." Vi'cky said.

"Understood." So'Gam said as he stood up from his chair to make an announcement. "Officers, I regret that the maiden voyage of this vessel is not under better circumstances. Nonetheless, I expect this ship and its crew to live up to the legacy of Justice. Now let us begin."

He sat back down and looked at Mi'key. "Helmsman, separate us from Space dock."

"Aye aye, sir." Mi'key said, the ship shaking slightly as it detached from Earth Space dock. Some of the other ships in the fleet were visible in the view screen, all getting into position.

"The fleet's cleared space dock, Captain." Mi'key reported. "All ships, ready for warp."

"Set a course for Deep Space Nine."

"Aye aye, sir…course laid in."

"Maximum warp. Engage."

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 5

Distrust

Authors Notes 2: Now go back to the beginning, put on "Enterprising Young Men" and enjoy this chapter even more!


	5. Chapter 5

Authors notes: I am slowing down slightly, classes are starting to dominate most of my time again, but I'm still working on this! I have half of the next chapter done already, and I know how this will end. I wasn't really even expecting any views on this story at all. I'd appreciate any criticism (I'm sure there's quite a lot). I don't claim to be perfect, I'd see this as being a pretty good comic, if anything, but I would like to improve. Anyway, onward with the plot!

Chapter 5

Distrust

Mi'key followed orders, as he had been trained to do. But he was doing his best to hide his nervousness. They were going to Deep Space Nine. It was rather obvious what they were going to do. But did Velma know?

She was about to find out.

"Now that we're on our way, I'd like to officially debrief the crew." Vi'cky said.

"Of course. Make it so, commander." So'Gam said as he stood up. "I'll be in my ready room if you need me."

* * *

Velma had found herself working amongst dozens of cadets in what had to be the largest astrometrics lab she had ever seen. 3D holographic images of nearby stellar phenomenon were constantly being brought up and analyzed, and part of her duties was to check for any anomaly that might raise any concerns. With this lab, she thought, she'd have found the Romulan warbird without ever having to go into the nebula.

Out of curiosity, she accessed the Justice's current position. The images shifted to the position of the fleet.

"…Weird, we're heading towards DS9…" Velma said to herself.

"Attention, all crewmen. This is Commander Vi'cky. You will now be debriefed on our current mission."

At that moment, Lieutenant Commander Yoana walked into astrometrics. Velma recognized her, her long, brown hair draping over the back of her blue uniform. She was the science officer onboard the Justice, and the officer she had to directly report to.

"Listen up, science teams, this will be important." She said. The way she spoke, it was obvious she had a timid voice in normal conversation. She was an executive officer, however, and it sounded like she had trained herself to sound much more in charge then she was probably used to. These executive officers were handpicked by So'Gam, after all. They had to be the best at what they do.

"We are now en route to Deep Space Nine." Vi'cky announced. Velma's eyes opened wide. She wanted to wait until after the mission, but that didn't seem like an option anymore. Suddenly, she realized, they were all in danger.

"As some of you may be aware, six weeks ago, Deep Space Nine hosted a gathering of delegates from all the major powers of the Alpha quadrant, including the Federation, the Klingons, and the Gorn. These talks were supposed to center around effective measures each power could take to defend themselves against Borg incursions. This ship's predecessor, the U.S.S Justice-C, was also present…"

Velma could barely focus on the announcement. She could out figure what had happened from the Federation news services anyway. A Dominion fleet had appeared out of the Bajoran wormhole, and had taken over Deep Space Nine. That much, she knew, but now there was a bigger problem. She had potential information that could be life saving, and she had a duty to let the Captain know. But what would she say? She didn't file a report with the academy before coming on board the ship. Granted, she was called in immediately, but still…

"After pouring over what information we gathered during the retreat, we have come to the conclusion that this particular Dominion battle group was somehow sent into the future. They still believe they are fighting the Dominion War, and any attempts to prove them otherwise have failed. We have only one conclusion; we have to drive them out of Deep Space Nine and either send them back through the wormhole…or destroy them. The U.S.S Justice is leading the first wave of attack, and the Defiant will lead a second wave, joining us shortly after we arrive. Our mission is to drive out as much of the Dominion fleet from Deep Space Nine as we can until the Defiant arrives. To do this, Starfleet saw fit to send this new vessel…"

Ah, that would make sense, Velma thought. The Dominion hadn't really declared war in the Federation again. It was a rouge fleet. But still, the problem remained. It was quite possible she held the lives of every person on this ship in her hands. Not only that, but the rest of the fleet. There was really no choice.

"…sure you will all do your part. This will be dangerous, but you're also the best we can find. Live up to that. Vi'cky out."

The sound of the door made everyone in Astrometrics turn their head to it, including Yoana.

"Cadet, where are you going?!" Yoana yelled.

"I have to get something real quick!" was the only reply she got.

* * *

For all the advancements in technology over the last few decades, it seemed like the turbolift would never reach the kinds of speeds they'd need for such a large ship. Velma pondered over this as the turbolift sped its way to the lower decks so she could get to her quarters. Perhaps if they installed site to site transporters…

Just as she started making the calculations in her mind of how much power on a starship would be needed for such transporters, the doors slid open.

"Jil'eesa?"

"I used the ships computer to locate you." Jil'eesa said. "I knew you would take this course of action."

"Jil'leesa, you don't have to come with me, I'm probably going to get in trouble for not coming to the captain with this sooner." Velma explained to her. "I'll tell him it was all my idea; you don't have to be involved."

"Illogical." Jil'eesa said as she stepped into the turbolift and stood next to her. "I said nothing about your actions on the shuttle because it was the logical action to take. I will not allow you to face the captain alone. If need be…as a Vulcan, I can properly explain the reasoning behind this whole situation to So'Gam, who should understand."

The turbolifts doors slid shut, and they were on the move once again. Velma grinned slightly as she looked at her best friend. "Always looking for a logical reason to help me out…"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Jil'eesa said, her posture and facial expression never changing. Velma knew her long enough to know that wasn't true.

* * *

The journey to her room and then the turbolift was easy enough. No one was really wandering the corridors. With the Romulan data node in hand, they walked as fast as they could to the turbolift that would take them to the bridge. As at least Jil'eesa expected, however, there were two armed security guards at the entrance.

"All access to the bridge is currently restricted for the remainder of the mission." One of them said.

"Please, I need to speak with the captain, he needs to get this information!" Velma pleaded.

"You will need to talk with your executive officers in order to make an appointmen-"

"It is absolutely essential that we speak with the captain." Jil'eesa interrupted. "Security access code Theta Four Gamma Seven Three."

"Access code confirmed." The ever listening ship computer suddenly chimed in. The two guards looked at each other, and then back at the two cadets. "The code is confirmed. Just know that if the captain deems your visit to the bridge unnecessary, he will report you to the academy, and the consequences could range from a reprimand on your permanent record to expulsion from the academy."

As one of the officers informed the bridge of their arrival, Velma and Jil'eesa got into the turbolift.

"Thank the stars I have a best friend who wants to be a tactical officer…" Velma said.

"If either of us wish to travel the stars on this ship, we had best be correct about this." Jil'eesa replied.

* * *

Vi'cky had her arms crossed, impatiently listening to the cadet explain what had occurred. Most of the time, she didn't want to come off as intimidating, but she understood why she had to be. Vulcans were simply not capable of crossing that threshold. It was an unspoken truth that was learned very early in the academy that a Captain has to be a…well, humans had a rather derogatory and explicit term for it. A captain has to be aggressive, and he has to be off putting. Decisions have to be made, decisions that could affect countless lives.

So'Gam, however, was Vulcan, and no matter how many times he made illogical decisions, he was still emotionally repressed. He couldn't lecture a cadet angrily, he could only state the logical reasons why a cadet did something wrong. The cadet would feel shut out more than actually lectured. Because of this, Vi'cky took it upon herself to make up for So'Gam's lack of real anger. This situation was already making her angry.

"So you didn't report this to the Academy, and you brought an unknown piece of technology on board?" She said, her voice rising slightly.

"We had to report to the Justice as soon as we got back." Velma said, trying to keep her posture and composure. This wasn't the first time Velma had been chewed out by a superior officer, and she kept her composure. "Look, we're here now, finding a reason to punish us isn't going to solve anything. The node may contain tactical information pertaining to this mission, we can't ignore it. I ran a quick preliminary scan before I left, and there are no explosives, so there's nothing to worry about."

"That presumes that the only way the data node can harm us is by exploding."

All eyes suddenly turned to So'Gam, standing outside of his ready room. He walked over to the two cadets, eyeing them both cautiously.

"Romulan data nodes are known for information storage, yes, but they also have a secondary function." So'Gam explained. "When attached to a computer interface that is not Romulan, the data node instantly begins transmitting whatever information it can get into space. We still do not know how it is done, and thus, we cannot stop it."

Everyone suddenly looked at the cadets.

Velma took the time to process what she just heard. Could it be true?

"The Romulans…they weren't Tal Shiar, they were just normal citizens…"

"Have you thought that perhaps the whole confrontation was a trap?" So'Gam asked. "Romulans are known for sacrificing themselves for the empire. It would not be surprising if the citizens you met were actually Tal Shiar in disguise…"

"That's impossible!" Velma pleaded. "Look, we have to check it…"

"Cadet, I will not allow that node to send information on this ship to the…"

So'Gam was cut off by the sudden shaking of the bridge, accompanied by the sounds of the hull being bombarded by something. They were under attack.

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 6

Attack

Authors Notes 2: Now EVERYONE knows Jil'eesa's security code...


	6. Chapter 6

Authors notes: I JUST realized a problem with the previous chapters. You have noticed sometimes there's a scene transition, but it looks like the scene is still going, so you may get confused. I typically separate those scenes with -, but its not coming up when I post them as chapters here. I can't seem to edit the ones I already posted, so from now one I'll just have to separate them with actual space.

In the mean time, I took a little while with this next chapter, but it's done, and I have the next chapter after this all ready! We're getting to the end pretty quickly now, and I hope everyone is enjoying it. I'd love to continue this particular storyline, and I will if I feel enough people have read this one.

Authors Notes 2: Whatever fix I did that first time wasn't enough, which is why I've been reuploading these chapters in the first place. Thanks to Space Viking for suggesting the horizontal line.

Chapter 6

Attack

Everything seemed to shake and turn, some people falling to their feet.

"Report!" Vi'cky yelled as everyone scattered to battle stations.

"We were hit by something…something strong! Hull breach on deck 21!" Mi'key yelled over the sounds of the ship slowing down."We're dropping out of warp, sir. Four other ships in the fleet are reporting a similar attack.

"Shields up, red alert!" Vi'cky ordered. "Science officer, report."

"The scans on the weapons that hit us suggest…Jem'Hadar weaponry." Yoana said just as another sound was heard, the bridge shaking even more.

Yoana held on to her station as she looked over the data coming in "These attacks are doing a massive amount of damage to our shields, they're down to 78 percent with just that one hit!"

"Impossible." Vi'cky said. "This is a state of the art ship, this Justice should be able to fight off a Borg cube on its own. How many ships?"

"Just one." Mi'key said.

"On screen." So'Gam said as he made his way to the captain's chair, taking a seat. The screen flickered on to show a single Dominion ship. Velma instantly recognized the ship from her Starfleet history classes.

So'Gam hit a button on his seat. "Engineering, report."

Car'los was known for having a somewhat smooth, calm voice. His species, the Gun'dam, were likened to the Native Americans back on Earth.

"Captain, we cannot return to warp until you stop whatever is attacking us." Car'los said. "The containment field will hold for now, but if the hull is attacked again, it may collapse."

"Very well, do what you can." So'Gam said. "Divert auxiliary power to shields, and prepare for more power transfer orders."

"They must have our shield frequency numbers, there's no other way." Vi'cky said.

"That cannot be the case." So'Gam said, holding on to his seat as the shields were hit again. "If they had our frequency numbers, their energy weapons and torpedoes would pass right through the shield. Whatever this weaponry is, it is of the type that is extremely effective against standard Federation shielding, even one as powerful as ours."

"That would appear to be the case, judging from the scans." Yoana said. "I don't know what we can do about this."

"I know. Go on the offensive." Vi'cky said from her console. "Phasers are charged."

"Fire at your discretion, first officer."

Velma's eyes were stuck on the view screen as the Dominion ship flew across it. The orange beams of the ships phasers crossed the space between the ship, hitting their shields. Velma figured Justice had 3 forward phaser banks, if they're using all of them. They hit different spots of the ship.

"Report!" So'Gam said, looking at Vi'cky.

"…minimal damage to their shielding. I don't understand, we hit them with three different phasers at once!"

"It's the same as their weaponry, captain." Yoana reported. "Their shielding is somehow effective at absorbing our phaser fire."

Velma listened intently as the bridge officers reported every move. Nothing was working, and without sufficient data, she couldn't formulate a plan. Was this it, she thought to herself? To die on the maiden voyage of a newly launched ship to an enemy thirty years out of date?

"Commander Vi'cky." Jil'eesa said, her voice reserved, even during this chaos. "If you would allow me, I have a possible solution to our problem."

"I'm all for suggestions." Vi'cky said, sparks suddenly flew out of a console near her. The damage to the shields was getting worse.

"We are causing damage to the shields. The problem is that due to their shield type it is not enough." She said, speaking logically, but quickly, as Vulcan's usually did. "However, this is a new ship, I would presume the most powerful Starfleet has built. We have to divert as much power as possible into the phasers, and have all three forward phaser banks target one specific spot of their shields. Once that specific part of their shielding is down, we fire a single torpedo."

Yoana had started number crunching her plan into her console. "Cadet, that won't work, their shielding will still deflect enough of the phaser damage, not unless we…"

"Unless we also take power from the shields. All of it." Jil'eesa said.

"That would leave us defenseless!"

"We will be defenseless soon, regardless. Yoana, is it not true that the hull damage we suffered earlier is considered normal for Dominion weaponry from that time."

"Yes it is."

"They only have the advantage as far as shielding is concerned. We can survive longer if we polarize the hull. While it is easy to configured phasers and shielding to counteract our technology, their hulls would have to be completely rebuilt in order to have the same effect. One of our more powerful photon torpedoes should be enough to disable or even destroy such an outdated ship."

Everyone looked at So'Gam, who had been listening intently to Jil'eesa's plan.

"...your logic is sound." He said. "Make it so."

"Yes sir." Vi'cky said, getting to work on her console.

Starfleet protocol always had a way of working quickly. It only took 30 seconds for the entire plan to take shape after So'Gam gave the order. The shields came down, the hull was now polarized. So'Gam was glad they brought back hull polarization. Archer traveled through space without shielding. Such a convenience didn't come until Warp 7 ships.

"Phasers at the ready, Captain." Vi'cky announced. "The Dominion ship is…heading right for us, head on."

"Arrogant." So'Gam said. "They believe they will destroy us quickly. Fire phasers on their forward shields, and prepare to launch the photon torpedoes."

On the view screen, phasers could be seen again, this time focusing on one part of the ship.

"We need more power!" Vi'cky yelled.

"Car'los, divert power from everything that isn't essential." So'Gam ordered. The lights around the bridge started to flicker, the sound of the phasers firing becoming even louder.

Suddenly, the dominion ship was pushed away from the force of the phasers.

"Captain, enemy shields are down!" Vi'cky reported. "Firing photon torpedoes!"

The torpedoes flew across the screen, hitting the Dominion ship, destroying it completely.

* * *

There was no celebration of their victory. Everyone knew all too well what this attack meant. If this Dominion ship could give Justice this much trouble, the other ships in the fleet would fare much worse.

"Report on the fleet." So'Gam said.

"Sir, the rest of the fleet continued without us, and have gone into radio silence, just as planned. The Potemkin sent us a message saying they were taking command of the fleet until we arrived."

"And the ships that were attacked?"

Vi'cky didn't answer right away. Velma could tell something had happened with them. Something bad.

"Sir…they were all destroyed, most likely by other Dominion ships."

So'Gam's look became slightly more intense. He showed no fear, or remorse, but he felt something. Something that had been affecting him for most of his adult life. Guilt.

"What ships?" Velma asked, breaking the silence.

Vi'cky looked back at her console. "…The Dakota, the Hemmingway, the Forrest, and the Montana…"

"No…" was all Velma could whisper to herself. She started to lean over as she thought of the senseless deaths, reaching out to lean against a nearby console.

Jil'eesa turned her head to her. "Velma?..."

"Jil'eesa…we were just on the Montana yesterday, helping us with our assignment about the nebula...They were all extremely kind and helpful, don't you remember? They all wished us the best with our studies…"

"Velma…"

"…while we were traveling to the nebula, I went to their mess hall for a meal…this one ensign approached me and struck up a conversation. I could tell he was kind of shy, and in the end, he asked me if he could see me again…I gave him my permission, and now he's…they're all gone…"

Jil'eesa stepped over to her. "Velma, this is Starfleet. This is a risk we are all aware of."

"I know, I know, it's just…we could have avoided this…"

Mi'key looked back from his console at them. "You don't know that. That data node could still do exactly what the Captain said."

"Enough, all of you." Vi'cky said. "Return to your duties, cadets, and we'll have words later."

"Cadet." So'Gam suddenly said, looking at Velma as he stood up, making his way to the next room. "In my ready room, now. The rest of you, get us back to warp and continue to Deep Space Nine. You have the bridge, first officer."

Velma didn't know what he wanted to talk about. She knew the loss of those ships was tragic, but they still had a job to do. This was her chance to convince the Captain to look into the data node and save the rest of the fleet.

* * *

Velma took her seat in front of So'Gam. The Captain's ready room was his place of rest, and it seemed to fit his personality. It was minimally furnished, but had large paintings of his previous ships, all the way back to the Miranda class ship he first took charge of.

So'Gam sat back in his chair, his arms resting in front of his, his fingers touching their counterparts on each hand. Velma had noticed that Jil'eesa sat this way also. It must be a Vulcan thing.

"…Velma, I want to know more about the Romulans you encountered in the Nebula. Did you notice any possible ulterior motives? Did you-"

A look of near disgust crept onto her face as he heard So'Gam questioning her. "Captain, may I speak freely?"

So'Gam tilted his head slightly. "I welcome it…"

"Captain, we're wasting time here. It should only take another 20 minutes to get to DS9, and we need the tactical advantage. We barely survived this fight, and we have one of the strongest ships in the fleet. We have to take this chance!"

"I will not allow any technical information about this ship fall into the Romul-"

"What is wrong with you? I told you, they were civilians! People are dead, Captain, we need…" Velma started to realize something. No other person would argue so much about Romulans. Klingons were more deserving of mistrust, and yet, this Starfleet captain wouldn't give in, even in the face of a disastrous confrontation with a Dominion fleet.

"…You hate Romulans." Velma said calmly. "That's why you don't want to give them a chance."

"…That is an illogical conclusi-"

"Then what other explanation are you going to give me? This Dominion Fleet is going to destroy us when we get to DS9. We need this advantage!"

So'Gam, for the first time since he was a first officer on his first ship, was speechless. For all of his experience, all of his logic, he did not have a response to this. She was arguing reasonably, and he was falling back to the same excuse over and over. For the first time, he realized the horrible truth of why he was behaving like this.

Suddenly, a sense a shame overcame him. He had to let this out, or else his emotions might be released. He stood up and walked over to the window, out into space. The ship had already gone back into warp, the stars zipping by them. He felt as if he was confessing to the universe.

"…I have not spoken of this to anyone. The only evidence of this is on record, and the immediate connection will not be made…My father was a member of the Vulcan Science Academy. I looked up to him as a child. He was a good man, and treated me and my mother with the utmost respect. He taught me everything I know about science…"

Velma was listening now, wondering what this had to do with their situation.

"However, he had one major character flaw; He was known for his heavy bias against Romulans, both the culture and the government. Normally, this would not be tolerated, but in the aftermath of Empress Sela's attempted invasion of Vulcan, this bias was allowed. When Ambassadors Spock and Picard, along with Nero, came to the Vulcan Science Academy for assistance with the Hobus supernova, my father was amongst the loudest of those members who did not want to give the Romulans advanced scientific material."

"The red matter…that absorbed the Hobus supernova."

"Yes…they eventually did receive it, but by then, Romulus had been destroyed. My father was among the people most responsible for that…tragedy…I could not reconcile the good that my father did with his actions during that time. Somehow, I deluded myself into accepting my father's beliefs as my own…it was the only way to justify what he did…"

So'Gam turned around to look at her. "Did you know that there is a possibility that Spock and Nero survived when they plunged into that black hole? They may have been sent across the galaxy as Voyager was, or sent back in time…if Nero somehow took the red matter from Spock, I cannot even imagine what destruction he could cause with it…"

" Captain…if I may be so bold, sir…it's not your fault. You aren't responsible for your father's sins." Velma began, a tenderness in her voice. "You couldn't control his actions, and I understand that you had to find a way to continue admiring your father…but he doesn't control your life. He made his bad decisions, you can learn from them. You have a choice now. You can give the Romulans another chance…"

"How could I reverse the damage my father caused?"

"You can't reverse it…but you can help mend it."

So'Gam paused for a moment, looking back out into space.

"…Very well. I will let Vi'cky know we will be activating the data node…what was your name again, cadet? And your friend?"

"It's Velma, Velma Garcia. My friend is Jil'eesa, and I also know the helmsman, Mi'key-"

"Yes…" So'Gam interrupted her. "Let us…get back to the bridge, we should be arriving at Deep Space Nine soon, and we will need to transmit whatever information we get to the fleet."

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 7

Second Chance

Authors Note 3: Has anyone yet realized how much I love the Alternate Universe Star Trek? Of course, the Prime Universe is still where the best stuff is.


	7. Chapter 7

Authors notes: And now for the beginning of the end! I am happy to say that this particular story is complete, as in, totally written and ready to be posted after a few edits, so yes, this will have an ending, I won't be abandoning this half way. The last chapter will be chapter 9, and if I see that I get some reviews (good or bad) and that people are wanting to see more, I'll most certainly continue it.

Authors notes 2: I most certainly continued it!

Chapter 7

Second Chance

So'Gam decided to use the Romulan data node on the tactical console. Although all the ships systems were secured with the latest firewalls and lock out programs, the tactical console had extra levels of security, so that no one could use the massive firepower of the Justice to harm innocents.

So'Gam slowly placed the device on the console. It started to light up, a nearly silent hum signaling its activation.

"It would appear the node activates when it comes into contact with anything connected with a large database." So'Gam said. Velma, Jil'eesa, Yoana, and Vi'cky were all gathered around So'Gam, watching closely. Yoana had a tricorder out, scanning the interaction between it and the ship computer. Vi'cky had a phaser out, ready to destroy the device, just in case.

"Captain, the ship's computer has started downloading the data…and the node is starting to download data from the ship."

"Stand by, first officer." So'Gam cautioned, eyes still glued to the node. "It has not started transmitting data."

Suddenly, rays of light started to emit from the node, and a holographic image appeared in front of the console. Everyone stepped back as they tried to decipher who this person was.

Velma, Jil'eesa, and Mi'key all recognized the man. It was the Romulan who gave them the device.

"This data node will begin transmitting data to any Romulan ships nearby…" He began to say. Velma gulped. Was she actually wrong? Vi'cky lifted up her arm, aiming her phaser at the device.

"It is transmitting your computer's data as theta radiation, so that scanners misread it as background space radiation. Put up some sort of containment field that blocks theta radiation to stop it!"

"Computer, activate a level 4 force field around the security console, configure it to block theta radiation!" Yoana quickly ordered.

The force field went up as the node continued to work. Mi'key turned around. "Captain, the ship is analyzing the data. We already have tactical information on the Dominion ships, as well as their shield and weapon types. We can make changes to our own defenses and weapons to counteract this."

"Make it so." So'Gam said to Vi'cky as everyone went back to work. Velma smiled, sighing in relief. She had done it. She kept her word to the Romulans. She looked back at the holographic image. The Romulan seemed to smile back at her. "Thank you…for giving our people a second chance…"

So'Gam walked over to Velma and Jil'eesa. "Cadet Garcia, if you would assist Lieutenant Commander Yoana with the science console, I want you to help her in case any more problems occur. Cadet Jil'eesa, I want you to assist Vi'cky on tactical. Your strategy worked last time, and we may need another."

Velma couldn't help but smile, though Jil'eesa simply nodded. They were being ordered to help out on the bridge. "Aye aye, sir" they both said, scrambling to their stations.

* * *

"Shields up, red alert." So'Gam said, sitting in the captain's seat, ready for what would be an uphill battle. The fleet, still in radio silence, had arrived at DS9 about 10 minutes before they would. They would have the same issues they did with the Dominion ships. For all they knew, every ship was already destroyed.

The ship dropped out of warp. Everyone could see Deep Space Nine on the view screen. There were Dominion ships littering the screen, chasing around Federation ships that were no doubt overwhelmed by their tactical advantage.

"This is Captain So'Gam of the Justice, I am retaking control of the fleet. My science officer is transmitting configuration changes to your shielding and weaponry. Apply these changes immediately, and we can turn this battle around."

"Sir, two ships have already been destroyed, and the Potemkin is badly damaged. She's adrift." Vi'cky reported. "We can't begin rescue operations until the area is secured."

"Then let us secure. Attack pattern Delta."

* * *

The tide of the battle had begun to change. The Federation ships began destroying the Dominion forces with ease, counteracting whatever advantage the Dominion ships had. However, a problem seemed to come up. The stable wormhole had been opening and closing, spitting out more Dominion ships. It seemed that where they gained the advantage in firepower, the Federation was succumbing to superior numbers.

"Sir!" Vi'cky yelled through the sounds of weapons hitting the shields. "Shields are down to 54 percent…the Dominion forces seem to know we're the lead ship, and they're focusing their attacks on us!"

"We have to hold out until the second wave of Federation ships arrive!"So'Gam said. "Divert power to the shields!"

"Captain!" Mi'key suddenly said. "We have incoming…15 more Federation ships! The lead ship is hailing us."

"On screen!"

The flickering image of Captain Kurland appeared. "Admiral, sorry the Defiant is late. We just needed some time for our friend to get his ship ready."

"Kurland, it is agreeable to see you. My science officer is transmitting shield and weapon configurations, apply them immediately."

"Yes, sir. Oh, and wait until you see her. It'll be like looking in a mirror."

The bridge officers all looked at each other, wondering what that would mean, but So'Gam knew perfectly well. Ahead of them, the ships all dropped out of warp, the Defiant immediately joining the battle. One ship in particular dropped out of warp directly in front of them.

Another Odyssey class.

Vi'cky looked down at her console as she scanned the ship. Her next few words were somewhat slow. This always seemed to happen when people realized what ship it was.

"Registry number….NCC…-1701-F…U.S.S Enterprise!"

"The Enterprise is hailing us." Mi'key said.

Again, the screen flickered to life as the Andorian Captain Shon appeared on screen.

"Sorry we're late." Shon repeated with a grin on his face. "Seems like both of our maiden voyages haven't been that smooth."

"Not entirely, no." So'Gam said, the familiarity in his voice was his was of 'smiling' back. "Justice has suffered a lot of shielding damage; we need some time to get them back to full power so we can rejoin the fight. Captain, I want you to take command of the fleet for the rest of this battle. I may be the admiral here…but the Enterprise should always take the lead."

"It would be my honor. Shon out."

* * *

It wouldn't take too long for the Justice to return to the battle. With their reinforcements, the Federation fleet began to drive the Dominion ships back towards the wormhole. It was a long, hard fought battle, but it seemed to be near its end. Still, some more Federation ships were badly damaged, and they could fight no longer. It didn't seem as if they needed to…

Justice drove the last Dominion ship into the wormhole.

"That's the last one…we did it!" Vi'cky said, looking at Jil'eesa and giving her a big smile.

"Yes, it would seem we are finally victorious." Jil'eesa said before she went back to her console. "Wait a moment...Captain, you have to see this."

"What?" Vi'cky asked as she looked at her own console. "…no…"

Velma couldn't help but scan what they were looking at in the wormhole.

"…may the stars help us all…"

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 8

Miracle


	8. Chapter 8

Authors notes: In case you're wondering when you finish this chapter, yes, I am totally ripping off a plot point from a Star Trek movie. No, I am not ashamed of it. One more chapter after this. Now, for the epic conclusion!

Chapter 8

Miracle

So'Gam had faced death many times in his years of service. He faced down the maw of a Doomsday Weapon. He had nearly been assimilated by the Borg. He had fought bravely against the Klingon Defense Force. This was yet another attempt by the universe to take his life. He wondered now if this time, it might succeed.

Vi'cky read the scans over and over again, as if somehow she'd find a flaw. "Captain…scanners report…nearly 2800 ships in the wormhole, and they're being lead by a massive Jem'Hadar battle cruiser…"

Everyone looked on screen as the ship slowly started to make its way through the entrance of the wormhole.

"Status report!"

"Captain, the rest of the fleet is still recovering from the battle. The Enterprise is assisting in rescue operations of the more damaged ships. The Defiant suffered some damage to their impulse engines; they can't make their way here to assist us. We need to give the fleet time to recover." Vi'cky reported.

"Even if the fleet were ready, we do not have enough firepower for such an invasion force. We must retreat." Jil'eesa said.

"No…" So'Gam slowly stood up, realizing what he had to do. "Helmsman Mi'key, hold our position here in front of the wormhole…we will hold them off for as long as we can until the fleet can escape and formulate a new battle plan…"

"Yes, sir…" Mi'key said, So'Gam's somewhat depressing manner of speaking spreading to him. Everyone knew how this would end. The Justice would surely be destroyed.

"We need a better plan then this…" Velma lamented.

"More than that…" Mi'key said, looking directly at the wormhole. "We need a miracle…"

* * *

So'Gam would never have to get used to such visions. He'd never really need to know that at any moment, he would be whisked away to this place. There was nothing around him, all white, as if he was in some other, empty dimension. He stood there, hands held behind his back, as he tried to make sense of this.

"…Is anyone there?" He called out into the void.

"You know, I never could get a straight answer out of them. It's like they lived to tell you everything you needed to know in the most mysterious way possible…"

So'Gam turned around to see a man standing before him. Tall, dark skinned, a goatee on his face, wearing a Starfleet uniform from over 30 years ago…

"…you are familiar." So'Gam began. "You are a Starfleet captain…"

"I used to be…until I was called to this sacred temple." The man said. "I suppose to you, I am better known as…Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine…"

"The former commander of the station, and captain of the Defiant. You disappeared shortly after the Dominion War ended."

"I was called away to save the Prophets of the Celestial Temple, and they deemed fit for me to join them here. My work continues…"

"Then why have you brought me here?" So'Gam asked.

"To tell you that it is now over. The Dominion will never threaten the Alpha Quadrant again."

"That is an illogical statement." So'Gam said. "Right now, my ship alone is about to face a Jem'Hadar battle cruiser leading a fleet of almost 2800 ships."

"And I am here to tell you that I am taking responsibility for this event." Sikso said. "You see, during the Dominion War, my crew aboard Deep Space Nine managed to erect a minefield in front of the wormhole to stop further Dominion forces from attacking Federation space. However, Deep Space Nine had been taken from us, and we fought hard to get it back. When we did, though, the minefield had just been deactivated, and we faced a similar situation as yours…"

"These Dominion forces, then, are the forces that never arrived during the battle to re-take Deep Space Nine."

"Exactly…the Prophets contacted me, and I convinced them that if they needed me for another purpose, then I had to survive this battle, and the only way to do that was to turn this war in our favor…when I was back on my ship, the fleet was gone. I always thought they had destroyed them, but now I know, the Prophets had sent them into the future. I am here to finish what I should have started. You may want to…turn your ship around."

* * *

So'Gam was not given a chance to respond to him. The next moment, he found himself standing on the bridge.

"Captain, something is happening…" Yoana reported. "I…don't know how, but the stability of the wormhole is breaking down. It's…slowly turning into a singularity."

"Impossible." So'Gam said, looking on the screen. Something was indeed happening. The white brightness of the wormhole started to turn darker.

"It's small, but it's already starting to destroy sections of the battle cruiser." Vi'cky said. "We need to get out of here before we're caught in it."

Suddenly, weapons fire flew from the battle cruiser. It passed the Justice, hitting a ship far behind them.

"Sir, weapons fire from the battle cruiser, it just destroyed the U.S.S Shran. It's still firing!" Vi'cky reported, looking over at So'Gam. "We can't leave just yet…"

"Agreed, the singularity is taking too long." So'Gam said, sitting back down. "Charge all forward phasers and photon torpedoes, fire everything."

Starfleet was not meant to be a military. It was meant to defend the Federation, not invade other powers. But the line between defense and offense was always thin. As the Justice fired its weapons, everyone watched on the viewscreen as the Jem'Hadar cruiser tried to lash back in its last moments. The singularity was finally beginning to take its toll, no doubt destroying what was left of the fleet in the wormhole. The broken, scarred metal of what was once the battle cruiser all started to fall in on itself. The singularity had done its work.

"Helmsman, turn this ship around and get us out of here." So'Gam said.

"With pleasure." Mi'key said as the ship started to turn. Nothing he could have done would have prevented their final trial from occurring. The Justice was too near.

So'Gam raised an eyebrow as he saw that they weren't getting any closer to DS9. "Helmsman, why are we not at warp?"

"We are, sir, maximum warp!"

The bridge started to shake. The whole ship was starting to be affected by the gravitational forces of the black hole.

"Car'los, I need more power, get us out of here!" So'Gam said as he contacted engineering.

The shaking was felt down in Engineering as well. Car'los's men were scrambling to different consoles, trying to do everything they could to push more power into the engines.

Car'los ran to the main engineering console and quickly tapped his comlink.

"Captain, we're caught in the gravity well of the singularity, estimated time until we fall in is about 4 minutes! Can you get any other ships to help?"

"Any ship that approaches will also become trapped, we cannot ask for aid. Is there any way to get more speed? Perhaps the experimental slipstream drive?"

"It wasn't completely installed before we launched." Car'los said. "We had to leave that out so we could launch on time, we only have the parts, and to replicate the rest and put it all together would take hours!"

"What options do we have left?" So'Gam asked.

"Nothing subtle…we could eject the slipstream drive material and fire a phaser at it, causing an explosion so powerful it would push us out of the gravity well. The problem is, we may not survive that explosion."

"It is our only option now. Prepare to eject the material, I will have Vi'cky ready a rear phaser to fire. The rest of our power will go to rear shielding."

"You heard the man, everyone get to work!" Vi'cky could be heard yelling to the bridge officers. Car'los cut the comlink, whispering a quiet prayer to the spirits of the universe for a miracle.

* * *

It had already been two minutes. Not much time left, and their current warp speed wouldn't keep them from falling in for long.

"Everything is ready, sir!" Vi'cky yelled.

"Understood, begin on my mark." So'Gam said, holding on to the arm rests of his chair. "All hands, prepare for impact. Car'los, eject!"

From the bottom of the ship, canisters of the material for Slipstream drive fell out, immediately falling into the singularity.

Velma looked at her console, trying to distract herself from the thought of her imminent demise. Her scans were showing that the phaser was fired, and half a second later, the explosion occurred. She could see out of the corner of her eye as the blue explosion filled the view screen. The violent shaking was only getting worse.

She closed her eyes, and accepted whatever would happen. She had lived her life as best she could, and tried to help everyone who needed it. She made good friends, and had a career that made a difference. She had done everything she could. If the universe deemed it necessary to take her life, so be it. She only wished she could have saved everyone else.

The universe decided it wasn't her time yet.

* * *

Captain Shon was doing his best to speed up the rescue operations. "Damn it, we need to figure out a way to help the Justice!" He said to his bridge officers. "Find a…wait, what is that? Magnify on that dot!"

Shon could see something shooting out of the blast.

"Sir, it's the Justice!"

The U.S.S Justice shot out of the blast, its shields battered, its hull nearly ruptured, but still alive.

There was no celebration, though this time, it was because everyone was exhausted. They simply sat at their stations, sighing in relief as they looked at everyone else. Smiling faces all around.

Velma turned her seat to look at Jil'eesa, who simply nodded at her. She also saw Mi'key, his arms in the air, as if stretching himself out. A huge grin could be seen on his face.

Finally, she looked at the captain. He took a big risk, and did something he never thought he'd do, but in the end, it saved everyone's lives. Velma smiled at her, and something she didn't think she'd ever see happened. So'Gam smiled. It was barely a smile, but it was still more then she would have ever expected. A huge burden had just been lifted off his shoulders. He had no reason to prosecute the Romulans anymore.

Their mission was complete.

Next time on Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 9

Its Continuing Mission…

Authors Note 2: It was after I wrote this chapter that I actually went and watched Deep Space Nine. I think I did an okay job potraying Sisko, so I don't feel like I need to add anything to that scene.


	9. Chapter 9

Authors notes: Well, this is it! I have a number of papers to work on in the next two weeks, so I wanted to upload this chapter before that all started. I hope anyone that actually took the time to read this enjoyed my small piece of work. I'd love to work on more, perhaps in a few weeks, when all this madness with Finals is over, but I need to see that people are interested! Write reviews, tell me how much I suck, I WANT to get better, and I really do want to continue with these characters. I'm already thinking of a new storyline, shorter ones. Whereas this was more like a movie, anything I type from this point will be more like an episode, at least until I can come up with something that will have a long plot line like this one.

Without further ado, the conclusion to Star Trek: Justice

Chapter 9

Its Continuing Mission…

"When does the Enterprise leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, once all repairs are done. Deep Space Nine is a surprisingly good repair station."

So'Gam was in his ready room, drinking a cup of tea. On the large view screen in front of him was both Captain Shon and Captain Kurland.

"We pride ourselves on that. We did used to be a strategic location in the Dominion War." Kurland said.

"A war I'm happy to say did not reignite again." Shon responded. "It'll be a long time before we see any sign of the Dominion. That wormhole may have returned to normal, but no one, Dominion or Federation, is going to attempt to pass through it again for a good while. If any of those ships survived, they've hopefully returned to their own home worlds and finally accepted that the war has been over."

"And if not, they will see that the Federation is as determined as ever to defend itself." So'Gam said. "Captain Shon, I wish to congratulate you once again on your new commission. The Enterprise has much history behind it, and I am sure you will add more to it."

"Thank you, admiral." Shon responded. "I have to admit, it's a big honor. Andoria is celebrating as we speak. It's almost as if my species feels relevant again, having the first Andorian in Starfleet history to be the Captain of the Federation flagship."

"You certainly earned it." Kurland said. "Any Captain willing to defend Deep Space Nine the way you did deserves a ship like the Enterprise. You're both welcome to drinks at Quarks whenever you stop by again, my treat."

"This bar better have some good Andorian whisky, none of that replicated or synthehol stuff." Shon teased.

"I'll make sure the bartender has some in stock for your next visit. Thank you both again for helping me get my station back. If you're in the area and you need help, the Defiant is at your service. Kurland out."

He flickered off screen, Shon now taking up all the space. "I'm glad this whole thing is over, but it looks like it's back to work already. Starfleet sent me orders. It says you're going to brief me on the situation. Something about the Tau Dewa Sector?"

"Yes." So'Gam said, putting his tea down on the desk. "A new government has arisen in that sector of space, where they have settled on a planet. New Romulus…"

"New Romulus?" Shon asked. "Wait, this government is a new Romulan Empire?"

"Not an empire, Captain. A republic. There is no need for concern." So'Gam said, a statement he never thought he'd hear himself say. "This republic consists of Romulan civilians and Reman resistance members that desire to stray from the deceitful past of the Romulan Star Empire. They have disavowed Empress Sela and the Tal Shiar forces, and has asked the Federation and the Klingon Empire for assistance."

"No…the Klingon Empire? Working alongside with us?"

"It could be a first step towards peace with the Klingons once again." So'Gam said. "Starfleet has ordered us to assist the Romulans in any way we can so that this peaceful Romulan government can survive."

"Times are changing, aren't they? I'll inform the rest of my crew once we disembark. Is there anything else, admiral?"

Yes, actually." So'Gam said, pressing something on the nearby computer. "Send them in."

The doors slid open as Velma, Jil'eesa, and Mi'key all walked into the ready room. They stood next to each other, anxious to hear what the captain had to say.

"Starfleet regulation states that I need a witness to carry out my next set of orders. Who better then the new captain of the Enterprise?" With that, So'Gam stood up and faced the group of cadets.

"Each of you has proven yourselves in your fields of expertise. I see much potential in all of you. Henceforth, I will be granting you all battlefield promotions to Ensign. You are now assigned to the U.S.S Justice, and will complete your last semester of classes at Starfleet Academy on this ship. I expect nothing less than perfection, the same as my bridge officers."

They all smiled, at least, two of them did, for their own different reasons. Jil'eesa did have a look of content, though. Whatever fate had in store for them, they would experience it on the U.S.S Justice. With what they went through, they didn't want to be on any other ship.

* * *

"Thrusters are ready, weapons systems and shields are online and standing by." Jil'eesa reported from her tactical console. Vi'cky nodded to her from the console next to her, signaling a job well done.

"A course has been plotted for New Romulus." Mi'key reported. Being the new Helmsman was more then he could have imagined for himself, but he was just getting started.

"No anomalies to report in this sector of space." Velma reported from her science console. Yoana wasn't too far from her, observing her rather impressive work.

So'Gam walked across the bridge to get to his seat. The repairs to the Justice were complete, and they were ready to disembark from Deep Space Nine.

"Thank you, ensigns. Begin separation from Deep Space Nine, and once we are cleared, go to warp factor 7-"

"Such a slow speed, aren't you bipeds always in a hurry? This century may have just started, but it'll go by in a wink of an eye!"

Everyone looked over at the man who had suddenly appeared and blurted out that last statement. His short, black hair was a bit messy, but he had a Starfleet uniform on, as proper as it was meant to be.

So'Gam raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Who? Q!" The man said with a bellow. "I've been watching you primitives run around on this ever increasing mass of useless metal you call a ship. And I have to say, I'm…slightly impressed. You're almost interesting to watch."

Vi'cky stood up and aimed a phaser at him. "Captain who is this intruder?"

So'Gam facepalmed. "I believe the human phrase is…I do not like where this is going…"

**Space. The final frontier.**

**These are the voyages of the star ship Justice.**

**Its continuing mission; to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life, and new civilizations.**

**To boldly go where no one has gone before…**

Authors Notes 2: This completes the newly updated, easier to read chapters. I made a few major changes here. In the original, I referred to the New Romulan government as an empire, so I had that changed.

I hope everyone enjoyed my first Star Trek fan fiction, and if you want more, Justice: Prime Directive is up and completed.


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